Friday, June 23, 2006

   Finally began watching some anime :D
So as a start into the world of anime I will begin by listing some of the anime I've seen since the beginning of the summer:

1. Gundam Wing (49 OVA Series)
Impression: Probably my favourite series so far. I was dissapointed with the frequent reuse of animation, especially during battle scenes, but in my mind the story and characters were well done. I find that people who don't like the story of this show don't realize that almost every character has a unique vision of life and for me it makes the show that much more human. It can be frustrating at times to see the characters disagree so often but that is what happens in real life.

2. Gundam Wing - Endless Waltz (Movie)
Impression: I enjoyed this one as well. I think this movie "saved" the philosophy of Gundam Wing for those who didn't like the philosophy at the end of the OVA series. Definitely worth a watch.

3. Final Fantasy VII - Advent Children (Movie)
Impression: The most beautifully animated movie I've ever seen. Simple as that. At times I thought I was watching a live-action film. I thought there was a good balance between action and story. Some diehard FF7 fans may feel a little cheated because the rest of the FF7 characters only make an appearance for 20 minutes or so and don't really do anything. If you like Cloud, then this is the movie for you.

4. Escaflowne (26 OVA Series)
Impression: This series is OK. There are parts where it gets boring and the story is alright. I remember watching when it first came out in North America and it was better in my memory than on the screen. I think they could've taken more advantage of the mecha genre to help make it more interesting.

5. Escaflowne (Movie)
Impression: This is completely different from the series. People say its the series in a nutshell but don't be fooled. It just the same characters transplanted into a different story. The movie is good to watch even though there is very little explanation of anything. You have to draw your own conclusions along the way. I would have prefered if there fighting was a little longer or happened a little more than it did. I'd say this was more entertaining than the series overall.

6. Karas - The Prophecy (Movie)
Impression: Great anime. Ranks up there in the top 5 for me. The unusual style of animation is refreshing for me and the combination of 2D and 3D animation is almost seemless. This is 1 of a 3-part series of movie to come out. At this point in time the next one is slated to come out in September or October 2006.

7. Neon Genesis Evangelion (26 OVA Series)
Impression: Well here we have come to one of the most well liked and most hated animes I can think of. My impression, It kinda lost its appeal toward the end. The second season just went downhill in my mind. Not because I didn't understand what was going on. But more because it stopped progressing. I found the evolution of the story around the Evas more compelling than the story around the characters.

8. Neon Genesis Evangelion - The End of Evangelion (Movie)
Impression: Definitely a more entertaining ending to the saga. The final scene is still unclear, even for those who study this anime religiously. I'd say its definitely worth a watch.

9. Appleseed (Movie)
Impression: Another cool movie. I definitely love that cell shading animation. The story is interesting and the plot reveals itself even to those who have no prior knowledge of the movie. That's always a plus. The ending doesn't completely tie up all the loose ends but I still suggest it as a great movie to watch.


Coming Soon:

1. Street Fighter 2 (Movie)
2. Street Fighter 2 V (Series)
3. RahXephon (Series)

If you got a suggestion no need to shy away.
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